What Real Power Is
by Shay Stark and Raven Rogers
Summary: Jade Banner and Karina Romanoff are unnofficially joining the Avengers Initiative. Between falling for the symbol of America and getting caught between a demigod and a billionaire, these two are about to make the boys realize what real power is. Tony/OC. Loki/OC. Steve/OC. Het. Sprinklings of slash. AU. Different ending.


**Author's Note: This is Shay Stark, writing for the POV of Jade Banner. Obviously, I do not own Nick Fury, Bruce Banner, Thor, Captain America, Tony Stark, Loki Laufeyson, or any of the rest of the cast of the lovely movie. I do own Jade, though, and I will fight to death to keep her. This story is Rated M for language, sexual situations, and violence. If you don't like those, just don't read the story. If you do, favorite, alert, and review! Hey, that rhymed. . . Anyway, enjoy, my lovelies. This universe is basically the one from the movie, but we're changing the ending, and we've revived Coulson because he is a sexy beast.**

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**What Real Power Is**

**Prologue**

They assumed I would listen to them when they told me the directions to the conference room and gave me strict orders to proceed there. They assumed that, after revealing the location of the prisoner to us on the jet, neither of us would be interested in pursuing a glance at the demigod they had incarcerated on their beloved Hellicarrier. Of course, men in boxy black suits with large guns tended to make assumptions because they believed women who were small, delicate, or pretty, or a combination of the three, would listen to them without thinking of disobeying. Stupid men believed such things, and I had every intention on proving that to them. After meeting Karina Romanoff on the jet and learning we had the same curious mindset, I knew she would follow me when I struck off in the direction of the prison room. And I knew without a doubt that Nick Fury would be pissed at me for approaching his captive when the demigod Loki was supposed to be dangerous.

"Let me know if real power needs a magazine or something," Fury said, jerking back, startled, when he realized Karina and I were standing directly in front of him. "Damn it, ladies, you aren't supposed to be here. I know the agents told you to go to the conference room."

"What a shameful way to great a lady," Karina remarked, narrowing her eyes at him as she tossed her hair back out of her face.

The Black Widow's younger sister and just as skilled of an assassin, Karina reminded me of the Russian women I had met while I had been attempting to tour the country. Strong, abrasive, and not afraid to relay her opinion to everyone around her until they understood and did not dispute. She was bold and brassy, and since I tended to be the same way, I liked her instantly, and she liked me. On the ride, we even struck up a friendship. And when one agent let it slip Fury had a prison on the Hellicarrier, and a demigod at that, I could see in her eyes we had to see what Fury had captured. We had seen Thor. The agents gave us pictures of each member of the Avengers, and among them, I recognized my brother and her sister. The rest were unfamiliar. But when we had been informed Thor was the brother of the demigod confined, I was impressed. Fury was renowned for making huge messes without good results, and to believe he had finally caught someone dangerous, I needed to see it for myself. So far, the most dangerous monster he had managed to get his hands on was my brother, and basically kidnapping someone was not an impressive skill no matter how it was viewed.

Fury glowered at Karina and I and stretched out his arms, blocking the doorway into the room behind him, eye narrowed at us. "My apologies. You two need to go to the conference room like you were instructed. There's nothing for you in here."

"How would you know that, Nicky?" I asked, dredging up the nickname I had given him the first time we had met. When he winced, I knew I still had a usable weapon in my verbal arsenal. Calling him a Cyclops had only worked for so long. Calling him Big Dan after watching _O Brother, Where Art Thou?_ worked for even less time because he never saw the movie. "Maybe I've decided I have a new kink for dangerous men with long hair and capes. You spend so much time talking to Bruce that you've forgotten I exist. Now, please remove yourself from the doorway so I can see your precious prisoner."

"He's killed a lot of people, Jade. Just because he's still in the cage doesn't mean he can't get out. We're not even sure it'll hold considering he hasn't tried to escape," Fury said, voice low, serene. As if he thought keeping his tone in the patient teacher zone would convince me to listen.

Karina winked at me, then kicked out with one high-heeled boot and caught Fury in the stomach, which knocked the breath out of him and made his arms fall. Chuckling, I walked around him and into the prison room, noting the camera focused on the large glass contained in the room. Loki must have been dangerous if they thought he was too dangerous to not be constantly watched. Interesting fact. I glanced around the room, noting the darkness of the walls stark against the fluorescent lights of the cage. It was an unpleasant experience. Then I turned to view the cage more thoroughly, casting my eyes on the man standing directly in the middle of it, staring back at me. Staring _directly_ back at me. Karina made a small noise of interest beside me and sent me an uneasy glance. She did not like him. I did.

"You must be Loki," I said softly, casting my eyes down his clothing. Black leather. Hint of green and gold. But he himself was beautiful. Soft black hair, lifting in little raven wings in the back, catching the light and showing up a faint violet. Green eyes, like emeralds, but so cold they made the skin of my arms rise in goose bumps. Lips lifted in a sardonic little smirk.

"I must be," he agreed, and his voice was low but not deep, carefully controlled like he was. It was the first sense I had when I saw him. Careful control. He owned his body and his clothing and his expressions, and he kept them under lock and key. Only showed what he wanted others to see. "But I do not believe I know who you are. Are you another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, perhaps out of uniform? Or are you a specialist who is supposed to glean the truth from me by any means possible?"

Beside me, Karina shifted and folded her arms across her chest. "We're not here for you as far as we know, and we don't work for these people. Unlike my sister, we have the common sense that says you don't work for the creepy black guy with the eye patch."

"Then you must be the Black Widow's sister," Loki said, stepping closer to the glass, lips quirked into a small smile. "Funny since I had no idea she had a sister. I know nothing about any of them other than that they are all bent on killing me."

"We're not here for that. Like I said. And yes, Tasha is my sister," Karina said, shaking her hair back and letting out a slow, even breath.

She was uneasy. I could see it. There was something about her that set off one of those mercenary instincts in her, something I could not see since I was perfectly comfortable talking to him. So I decided to take the conversation away from her. The last thing I wanted was to see if he truly had some power despite being imprisoned. He was not taking his irritation with the Avengers out on Karina, and if what we had been told about him was true, he might just do that.

"The only reason we're here is because the team needs back-up," I told him, watching him take another step closer to the glass. I did as well, noting the way his eyebrow lifted. If he expected me to be afraid of him, he was going to be sorely disappointed. I was not afraid of anything. My brother was the Hulk, after all, and I had never been afraid of him, even when he was raging across the city and destroying everything in sight.

Loki stifled a yawn against the palm of one hand, revealing long, artistic fingers. His posture, his attitude, gave me the sense of someone with far more intelligence than anything else. "Good to know I've shaken them so badly they need back-up. Thank you for that information. But I am afraid I still do not know your names, and I would enjoy learning them.

"Karina Romanoff, AKA Brown Recluse," Karina said, voice low, and I watched her eyes follow his hand as he tucked it back behind his back.

"A brown recluse is a dangerous little creature, isn't it?" Loki asked, chuckling to himself as he stepped forward again. Like a predator trying to corner his prey despite the fact he was the one cornered. "Far less dangerous looking than the black widow. Far more inconspicuous. Almost harmless looking in comparison to a black widow, which is sleek and dark with the startle of crimson on its abdomen. Yes? Do you expect me to fear you more than your sister? Because I do not fear her at all."

Karina shook her head slowly before answering. "I don't need you to fear me, Loki. But if you attack me, I will repay you tenfold when you least expect it."

"I look forward to the challenge, mortal." His eyes snapped to me, and he stepped forward again, laughing when I stepped forward as well. "And you are very interesting indeed. Not afraid of me at all, are you? At least your friend has the sense to be concerned about my power. You, however, do not. Are you related to one of the team as well?"

"Yes. I'm Jade Banner," I said, and the slight humor drained from his face. "Bruce's sister. I'm here to help him keep calm until the time calls for it since your presence has him freaking out pretty badly. And no, I'm not afraid of you. I've seen scary things, and you look harmless."

Fury finally joined us and rested a gloved hand on my shoulder, the other on Karina's. "He isn't harmless, Jade. Come on. We have to get to—"

"No." Loki folded his arms across his chest and, incredibly, sat down in front of the glass, eyes intent on me. "I'm not harmless, that is true. Why do you want to take the sister of the beast away? She amuses me, and I see no need in harming her. If she is the beast's handler, and he is currently calm, she does not need to be at his side. Let her stay and speak to me. It is what she wants, after all."

Before I could reply, Fury steered me out of the room and into the hall, shutting the door closed as soon as Karina and I were completely out of the doorway. He said nothing, simply beckoned us to follow him, and I did so, resisting the urge to pout at him like a child. The rat bastard. I was enjoying talking to the demigod with the pretty green eyes, but it was just like Fury to come in and ruin everything. He ruined my lovely vacation in Istanbul, ruined my brother's quiet life in India, and was currently ruining the lives of everyone on the Avengers team. Stupid goddamn fucking bastard of a man, but I bit my tongue and followed him, wishing I could glare holes through the back of his head. I fully understood my brother was dangerous on a bad day, but damn it, I had a life outside of Bruce's, and I was not going to sacrifice it because working as a superhero was extra stressful. I did not elect to take the job of caring for him, and I was not about to. It was a hard job, after all, and I had no formal training to go along with it.

As soon as Karina and I stepped into the conference room, seven sets of displeased eyes were on us, though I suspected much of the displeasure was aimed at me. Trying to diffuse the situation, I crossed the room and hugged Bruce, noting the stiff way he hugged back. Oh, they were pissed.

The big blond Thor came to my rescue when he took my hand and gently kissed it. "Welcome to the Avengers, milady."

Well, at least he was polite.


End file.
